God of War 4: Retribution
by Alek Sands
Summary: At the end of the second Titan War, the gods were scattered,Zeus lay dead, alongside the blood of Helios, Poseidon, Hades and Hera. The world had now been plunged into Chaos. And yet all this was the cause of a single mortal, a fallen god, the Ghost of Sparta, Kratos. Yet death was never to be his end.


_At the end of the second Titan War, the gods were scattered, First to fall was Ares, in his pride he let a mortal warrior be his end. Athena fell next, clouded by the protection of her family for her own life. Next was Poseidon, who's rage overpowered his senses which led to his downfall. Hades, the king of ghosts was ripped of his soul before drowning with the damned. Helios in all his glory, let the light dim his judjement and plunge the world in darkness. Lightning was his speed, Thunder was the sound of the cries of Hermes' end. For the protection of his daughter, Hephaestus gave his life in his attempt. drunk in deciet and anguish, Hera's insults would be heard no more. His crown fallen from his head and his throne in pieces, Zeus lay dead, alongside the blood of Helios, Poseidon, Hades and Hera. The world had now been plunged into Chaos. And yet all this was the cause of a single mortal, a fallen god, the Ghost of Sparta, Kratos. His actions unleashed the evils of Pandora's box upon the mortal world, yet his death released hope and also the freedom from his torment. the Ghost of Sparta was at his last stand. Yet death was never to be his end._

The rain continued to fall as Kratos' lifeless body laid submerged in a lake of his blood. The thunder crackled around and the sea continued to slam itself against the cliff. The rocks fell silent. The the haunting voices of Kratos' past.

Persephone: Do you think it was my choice to wed a man I did not love? Live a life I did not choose? I was betrayed by the very gods that once saw me as their own. But no more.

Ares: I have taught you many ways to kill a mortal, Kratos. Flesh that burns, bones that break. But to break a man's spirit, is to truly destroy him.

Thanatos: The Oracle may have yet spoken truth. The Marked Warrior shall bring about the destruction of Olympus. Ares chose poorly that day. He took your brother when it should have been you.

Athena: Enough, Kratos! With every city you destroy, the wrath of Olympus grows, soon I will no longer be able to protect you.

Poseidon: Zeus should have kept you where you belong. No matter how many gods fall, there will always be another to stand against you!

Helios: Behold the Glory of Helios. FEEL THE POWER OF THE SUN!

Hermes: But you have your own sense of honour, right, Kratos? And what has that honour brought you? Nothing but nightmares of your failure. Today you may defeat me, but in the end, Kratos, in the end you'll betray only yourself.

Hephaestus: I thought Zeus would have killed you by now.

Hera: Bravo! Bravo! Our hero has arrived. Applause for another bastard child of Zeus.

Kronos: The murderer of Gaia enters my tomb? Kratos! Your death will not be a gentle one!

Gaia: You were a mere pawn, this is our fight Kratos!

Zeus: I regret the day I let you live, made you one of us. Now I will fix it.

All at once, Kratos' breath returned to him. He was still weak from his own injury. The empty part of his chest where he impaled himself on the Blade of Olympus still bled like wild rapids. He barely got himself up to his feet. The legs shaking, but noticing his vision slowly getting darker, he knew that death would take him. The blades of exile still tightly strapped to his back.

He tried walking, but every step was heavy. Dragging his feet across the rubble that laid around him, he walked over to take back the blade which laid impaled into the earth. He slowly moved closer and closer till the blade was in his grip.

He pulled on the blade, but its metal edge was caught tight in the rocks. He suddenly felt the cold ghostly hand of Athena grab his arm, pulling him from the blade.

"Athena!"

"You cannot remove the blade from which I have taken from you. It may possess what once yours, but I gave them to you. Since you refused to give back what was rightfully mine, this is my payment."

She plucked the blade from the earth and swung it over her arms a few times. She looked back at Kratos.

"But it is not enough, I will be taking all of the blades."

The blades of exile instantly flew from Kratos, straight towards Athena. The chains that wrapped around Kratos' arms pulled suddenly as the blades continued to pull him towards Athena. The chains started to rip themselves from Kratos' skin, more blood began to flow instantly, dying his arms red. The pain was instantly unbearable. The blades, that had been melted into his flesh, were now being violently torn from him.

"Athena! Aaaaargh!"

"I gave you everything Kratos, redemption, power, protection, revenge, forgiveness! And you could not do me one world of favour in return by giving hope to them! Mortals have only one place in this world, bending the knee to the gods."

Kratos' pain increased all the more. But his rage only grew. he thought back to when she and Ares too his brother from him when he was young. How Ares made him butcher his family. How Zeus killed him out of fear. How Gaia had let him fall back into the Styx for her own gain. And how Athena let him destroy the world for her purposes. He flared his nostrils and opened his eyes. He aimed his sights on her. He dragged himself back to his feet, constricting his jaws shut with his teeth flaring with blood staining his gums.

"Father asked me to do the same thing." He grabbed the chain on his right arm. "He asked me to bend the knee before him". Grabbing the chain on his left arm and wrapping both chains round his arms. "I refused him, and I killed him!" Pulling the chains back from Athena. Swinging the blades, impaling Athena and flinging her into a nearby rock, grabbing her again and flinging her across the floor.

"I killed him! Now I will kill you!". Dropping the blades of exile and retrieving the claws of Hades he latched the blades into Athena, since she was already a spirit, the claws immediately took hold of her and Kratos began to slowly pull her towards him.

"Kratos!" she screamed in torment. "I made you a legend, I made you the God of War, I gave you everything!"

"Not everything". Pulling one final tug he ripped her from the earth, before her spirit disintegrated as it passed into his chest. He felt the evil spirit of Greed burst from where Athena stood. And released itself upon the world in the form of a dark shower of cursed coins.

Kratos dropped the blades, and walked over to the cliff. The very same cliff that he had once tried to plunge himself over before being retrieved by the Gods. The beginning of his rule as the new God of War, his memories and torment were never to be freed on that day. Standing over the edge, knowing that his sight would soon be gone, as well as his purpose for life. Leaning forward, closing his eyes for his final time and took a second fall into the waters below.


End file.
